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Lou Hoover (1874–1944)
Born Waterloo, Iowa
Lou Hoover photograph
A wealthy and exceptionally well-educated woman, Lou Henry Hoover's privilege sometimes blinded her to the challenges that working presented for lower class women or those who maintained homes and raised children without domestic help. This disconnect alienated Hoover from much of the nation when the Stock Market Crash of 1929 brought on the Great Depression. Thus, many of her solutions, including women's volunteerism and communal support, went over poorly, although they were similar to those later championed by Hoover's equally wealthy yet vastly more empathetic successor, Eleanor Roosevelt.
This photographic portrait of Hoover by Edward Steichen was published in Vogue magazine. Taken in 1928, shortly before she moved into the White House, it marked the first time that this premiere fashion magazine featured a first lady in its pages.
Edward Steichen (1879–1973)
Gelatin silver print, 1928
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; bequest of Edward Steichen |